16: Chapter 16 Lisa’s neck started to turn red 16: Chapter 16 Lisa’s neck started to turn red Ding Fatty Square is located in Monterey Park City, in the western district of Saint Rodu.
It is the first stop for many Chinese people upon arriving in America.
As for the name Ding Fatty, it originated from a Chinese boss surnamed Ding.
Initially, Boss Ding only opened a travel agency in the square, handling air tickets and visa services for Chinese people going to America.
Latterly, in the ’80s, his business got better and better, Boss Ding bought up many shops and turned Ding Fatty Square into a small business center.
Boss Ding’s business grew large and attracted many other Chinese merchants to open restaurants, supermarkets, hair salons, jewelry stores, pharmacies, etc., here.
Eventually, a bustling Chinese business district formed.
At its peak, hundreds of buses would bring Chinese people here to shop every day.
What truly pushed Ding Fatty Square into the spotlight was another group of people.
Some from Hua Country who couldn’t get visas used various channels to sneak into America.
Before coming, they saw promotions on the Chinese internet about one dollar fried chicken, free villas to squat in, and so on.
Only after landing in America did they find out that, as illegal immigrants, it was difficult to be accommodated by the American order, and they had no choice but to come to Ding Fatty Square looking for jobs.
That is, they became illegal workers.
Cheng Daqi’s former self once washed dishes in a Chinese restaurant, because he was slower than the Mexican workers, he had his wages docked daily by the boss.
Eventually, he couldn’t take it anymore and ended up on the streets.
“This place looks pretty run-down?”
Lisa, steering the wheel, asked Cheng Daqi puzzledly.
“Fancy restaurants are all uniformly clean, but the delicious ones each have their own charm, trust me.”
Cheng Daqi was also here for the first time, but he had heard friends talk about Chinese restaurants in America in his previous life.
In America, if you don’t speak Chinese, Chinese restaurants are most likely to serve you Americanized Chinese food.
But if you do speak Chinese, you can unlock a hidden menu.
What dishes are available depends on where the chef in the kitchen is from.
However, no matter which Chinese restaurant, as long as there are proper Chinese chefs, they can make a decent Sichuan meal.
“All the signs on the roadside are in Chinese; this must be Chinatown.”
Lisa felt a bit curious; she had only seen Chinatown on TV dramas.
Several large cities in America have highly concentrated Chinese enclaves.
Their history dates back to the Qing Dynasty, when Chinatowns were primarily composed of Chinese railroad workers.
Today, after more than a hundred years of development, those railroad workers have come down through seven or eight generations.
With the influx of a new generation of Chinese immigrants, the size of Chinatowns has been growing as well.
Of course, Ding Fatty Square, at most, is like a little Chinatown; it’s also called Little Taipei.
“This place was originally built by Taiwanese, and the Chinese call it Little Taipei, so it’s kind of like Chinatown.”
Cheng Daqi looked around at the Chinese signs, planning to find an immigration consulting agency.
Without legal status, it was really difficult to get around in America.
“Chan, I can’t read this Chinese; which one is Ding Fatty Noodle House?”
Lisa looked at the navigation on her phone, troubled, unable to find which restaurant she had chosen.
Staring at the restaurant with a large sign that read ‘Chongqing Local Cuisine’ and a small one ‘Ding Fatty Noodle House,’ Cheng Daqi answered.
Is there a bank nearby?”
He still hadn’t settled the thousand-dollar matter.
With money not in hand, he felt somewhat uneasy.
It also made the meal less enjoyable.
“Ha, Chan, are you going to bring up the fact that you cheated me out of money while dining with a beautiful woman?”
As she pushed the door of the restaurant, Lisa teased Cheng Daqi without looking back.
“No, we had a pleasant cooperation; how could you slander me?”
Receiving the menu from the waiter, Cheng Daqi quickly scanned it, a wide variety all aiming for comprehensiveness.
He directly reported the dish names in Hua language.
“Mapo tofu, sauerkraut fish, boiled beef in spicy sauce, diced chicken with hot peppers, and then have the kitchen make two non-spicy small stir fry dishes to cleanse the palate.
Finally, let’s have the rice wine sweet dumplings with white fungus soup, and two more servings of rice.
Can the kitchen make all these?”
Since Ding’s Noodle House could be called authentic Chongqing cuisine, there was no problem for it to serve Sichuan dishes.
“Of course, sir, our head chef is second to none in Sichuan cuisine.”
Chongqing cuisine was seriously cuckolded.
“Chan, what did you just say?”
Lisa, not understanding Hua language, didn’t know what Cheng Daqi had said.
Pouring Lisa a cup of oolong tea, Cheng Daqi sighed.
“I said this is the first time in my life that I have brought a girl to a restaurant to eat, asking them to cook well to make sure you experience the deliciousness of Chinese food.”
Lisa was deeply shocked by Cheng Daqi’s shameless response.
Her tone was angry as she glared at Cheng Daqi discontentedly.
“You must have tricked lots of girls, you bad boy.”
Cheng Daqi wore an innocent face.
“You’re the first one in my life; I have never been to a restaurant with a girl before you.”
In my past life, I couldn’t count them, but this really is the first time in this life.
Playing the honesty card.
“Come off it, I don’t believe you haven’t been on dates with other girls before?”
Lisa scrutinized Cheng Daqi’s expression as if she was observing a criminal suspect.
She was convinced Cheng Daqi was lying to her.
“Lisa, sorry, are you saying that we are on a date?”
Catching the detail, he followed up his advance.
Although he had no intention of getting to know Lisa any deeper.
“I have never been on a date with a girl before, so should I treat you to this meal?”
Quick, say it’s not a date, then let me joyfully freeload.
Lisa, please make it clear!
I was planning to treat you, but now I’ve decided to go Dutch!
I won’t let you, a guy who likes to deceive girls, take advantage.”
Cheng Daqi, you’ve botched it.
He took a sip of oolong tea, tactically drinking water.
A loss is a blessing, and going Dutch isn’t a loss at all.
But not getting anything for free—you can’t get any worse than that!
Cheng Daqi decided to strike back.
I must make you regret it deeply!
“I also have to thank you today.
Honestly, providing security was no trouble for me; I only intended to ask for two hundred.
I didn’t expect you wouldn’t haggle.
Lisa, you truly are a great partner.”
Cheng Daqi watched, watched as Lisa’s neck changed color.
After hearing Cheng Daqi’s ‘thanks,’ it went from milky white to red.
Though free-loading turned into going Dutch, I’m not at a loss this time.
Lisa picked up her phone fiercely.
No way, I must make that waitress who forced her to choose get fired.
Later, she intended to eat voraciously, at least more than half.
She couldn’t let Cheng Daqi get the upper hand anymore!